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RESEARCH
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I have expertise in:
GEOMORPHOLOGY & SEDIMENTOLOGY & STRATIGRAPHY
GEOCHRONOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS & GLACIAL ISOSTATIC ADJUSTMENT
(PALEO)LIMNOLOGY, (PALEO)HYDROLOGY, (PALEO)CLIMATOLOGY
COASTAL SYSTEMS
Currently involved in two large multi-disciplinary research groups.
Both are using science to better enable water managers
To address both the causes and current manifestations of local to global freshwater crises
Climatic variability, human activity and a small number of detailed, long-term data sets have raised concern of future available freshwater resources.
We are working in two of Canada's most important drainage basins, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and Mackenzie, collecting ancient sediment to reconstruct past conditions and investigate past patterns of change.
Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Drainage Basin
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Largest fresh, surface water system in the world!
Important freshwater input to the Atlantic Ocean.
Economic and societal importance for two nations!
UNESCO World Biosphere sites (i.e. Geogrian Bay).
RAMSAR sites (i.e. St. Clair Delta)
National parks (i.e. Bruce Peninsula)
Provincial parks (i.e. Pinery)
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Directed by Dr. Doug Wilcox
(USGS Great Lakes Science Center)
Main funding through the Dept. of Interior, U.S. Geol. Survey
"Global Climate Change Program"
[Michigan (1991-95), Superior (1998-2004), Huron (2004-2009)]
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Unique Program
Beyond previous lake-level research because...
More detailed...multi-decadal resolution with overlapping data sets for the last 5 millennia.
More accurate...subsurface elevations with direct relationship to lake-level.
Larger data set...hundreds of shorelines studied and tens of ages collected.
Mobile equipment...disassembles to access remote locations.
Thorough investigation of sediment...return cores to lab for extended analysis.
Consistent...standard, robust procedure followed.
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Contributions
Joined the sedimentology crew in 1998 to work on Lake Superior paleo-lake levels.
Cored about 300 shorelines and collected ~100 radiocarbon ages and ~70 OSL ages.
Worked up all the sedimentological data.
Creating, refining and comparing age models using radiocarbon and OSL.
Finalizing late Holocene paleo-hydrograph for Lake Superior right now!
Added Geophysics to the program (ground penetrating radar - GPR).
Used GPR to advanced the understanding of ancient shoreline formation and preservation.
Helped initiate and develop OSL as a viable alternative to date Great Lakes strandplains
Responsible for two added successful collaborations (Synoptic Climatology, Geochemistry)
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Mackenzie Drainage Basin
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Longest river basin in Canada (drainage area, discharge, length)!
Important freshwater input to the Arctic Ocean.
Economic and societal importance for Canada!
UNESCO World Heritage site (i.e. Wood Buffalo)
RAMSAR sites (i.e. Peace-Athabasca Delta)
National parks (i.e. Wood Buffalo)
Provincial parks (i.e. Fidler-Greywillow)
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Dr. Brent Wolfe, NSERC Northern Research Chair,
Wilfrid Laurier U - Env. Sc. / U Waterloo - Earth Sc.
Dr. Roland Hall
U Waterloo - Dept. of Biology
Dr. Tom Edwards
U Waterloo - Dept. of Earth Sciences |
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Numerous funding sources...only a few shown. |
Unique Program
Beyond previous research because...
Larger data set...about 80 lakes studied and numerous cored
in the Peace-Athabasca and Slave Deltas.
Methods...use of isotopes and diatoms in modern and ancient sediment (many analogues).
Approach...hydroecological classification of lakes (open, resitricted or closed).
Thorough investigation of sediment...extensive field and lab work.
Consistent...standard, robust procedure followed.
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Contributions
Joined the crew in January 2004 to work on barrier beach complex with Dorte Koster (fellow postdoc at UW - Biology) to gain insight into past water-level fluctuations in Lake Athabasca, Alberta.
Adding a sedimentological aspect to the program.
Incorporated geophysics into the program (Dr. Tony Endres - U Waterloo).
Helping introduce OSL to the program.
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